1. Field
The technology of the present application relates generally to electrically charging devices implantable into animals, and more specifically, to using differential pressures generated by muscles, organs, and other tissue to electrically charge an implantable device.
2. Background
Vascular stents and other devices that are implantable into animals, such as people or the like, are used frequently to treat a medical condition. For example, a stent may be used to remove an aneurysm from direct contact with blood flow or the like. In another example, a pacemaker may be implanted to treat abnormal heart rhythms. In still other examples, electrical stimulators may be used stimulate and treat muscles or nerves, including such nerves as optical nerves, spinal nerves, and peripheral nerves.
Many of the implantable devices suffer from one drawback or another. Implantable devices that require electrical energy, such as pacemakers or stimulators, require a battery in most instances. Eventually the battery is drained and must be replaced or recharged prior to the implantable device ceasing to operate as required to treat the condition.
Stents, as mentioned, are effective in treating certain coronary and vascular diseases and conditions. Stents may facilitate or even cause the formation of thrombosis or clots once placed in the blood vessels. The clots may cause blockage or decreased blood flow that may lead to a stroke or heart attack.
One solution to the formation of clots is to provide stents with anticoagulation pharmacologic agents (a.k.a. drugs). The anticoagulation drug, such as Heparin, is typically loaded in or coated on the stent. The medication is released from the stent over time and inhibits the formation of clots. While an improvement over a bare metal stent or the like, medicated, or eluting, stents still suffer from drawbacks.
It has been discovered that the formation of clots on stents may be inhibited by providing a negative charge on the stent. In one solution, the negative charge on the stent is provided by implanting a battery along with the stent, which has the problems mentioned above.
Thus, against the above background an improved system and method to electrically charge implantable devices is needed and, more particularly, an improved system and method to negatively charge a stent to inhibit clotting.